What Lies Within
by Hugopup Productions
Summary: Post-FFX. Sin has been defeated, the heroes went their own separate ways, but the time has come for a new adventure, for new mysteries..for new love. Unique pairing.
1. One

**What Lies Within**

**A Final Fantasy Fanfic**

_Disclaimer: I do not own FF or its characters. They belong to Square Enix._

_Foreword: This is a unique fic, a rare pairing, set in between FFX and X-2. Reposted from my other account. I've not finished X-2, so please don't lecture me. Reviews are welcome._

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Chapter One

Aftermath

_One year after sin is defeated; the party has parted ways…_

_Wakka returned to Besaid, where he coaches Blitzball, Kimhari lives in Mount Gagazet, aiding travelers, Lulu returned to Besaid as well, teaching young girls in the subtle art of black magic. Rikku, along with Cid and Brother, have been helping in the reconstruction of Home, and Yuna, still recovering from Tidus' disappearance, lives in Kilika, where she releases her woes in song. _

"Come on girls, one more time." The woman with long, black hair said, going once again over the steps to train a Moogle, always a helpful aid to a sorceress. "But Mistress Lulu, it's hard!" whined one of the girls, as her doll took two steps and then fell lifeless on the sand. "Practice, Practice, Practice, remember!" said Lulu, as she let her own Moogle down. The girls stared in surprise as the seemingly lifeless doll pranced around, spinning and turning. "Class dismissed!" the girls took their dolls and ran off, each to her own house in the village. Lulu sighed as she went to the beach and sat down, thinking. "You miss the group, ya?" Lulu turned, startled, to face the Besaid Aurochs' Coach, Wakka. She smiled and then turned her attention towards the sea.

"Auron was dead, and Tidus a dream. It still makes me wonder."

Wakka laughed as he sat down. "Some of these things, you can't explain. You know how that old man told us, 'And that, as they say, is that.' You should cheer up, Lu. Chappu, Tidus, and Auron wouldn't have wanted you sad, ya? Rikku, Kimhari, and Yuna are doing fine. And look at yourself! You're a hero to these girls. They've already begun making outfits like your old dress!"

Lulu had to laugh at this, for she had thrown her long, mournful, dress in favor of an Al Bhed fashion; She missed Rikku most of all, always perky and cheerful, like a child. "I think you're right, Wakka. Are the Aurochs going to win the cup this time?"

"Ya, I hope so, the Kilika Beasts are our targets this time."

"Give me something to smile about, please." Wakka nodded, touched her on the shoulder, and then left. She lay there for another hour or so, and then returned to her house.

As she got to her house, she turned on one of her recording spheres, it was a conversation between her and Rikku. Rikku always wanted to be like her, acting cool in the face of danger. Lulu always was seen like that, but inside, she was shivering. During the fight with Sin, she was death scared. But all throughout the pilgrimage, Rikku had made her feel better, always cheering her up, being the child Lulu wasn't. The sweet, high-pitched voice in contrast to Lulu's low, sensual one.

During her sleep, these thoughts troubled her. Rikku was everything she wanted to be. Rikku was her friend. Rikku promised to be there for her. Rikku. Rikku. Rikku! She woke up suddenly, sweating, and clutching her sheets, her heart beating furiously. "No…" she said to herself. She walked outside, hoping for some cool air to soothe her, but what she saw…and heard…nearly dropped her to her knees. In the skies, unmistakable by the pale moonlight, was Cid's Airship.


	2. Two

**Chapter Two**

**In the Night Skies**

Lulu gasped as the airship loomed above her, hovering over the small island like a gigantic bird of prey. "AL BHED! IN BESAID!" yelled out a voice in the island, and several men rushed forward, ready to guard their own homes. A single splash was heard, and slowly but surely, Lulu could tell who it was. The men, who were focusing their attention on the airship overhead, paid no mind to the single Al Bhed who snuck into the island using the cover of darkness and made her way to Lulu's hut. "Stop right there!" yelled a voice behind Lulu. The voice revealed itself to be Wakka's, and he stepped forward, angry at the intrusion. "Identify yourself!" he commanded, and the Al Bhed giggled.

"Is that anyway to greet an old friend?" said the voice, a high-pitched, childish drawl.

"Rikku!" Lulu said, recognizing the voice.

"Yup!" said Rikku, as she stepped into the light, clad in her usual Al-Bhed Dressphere, tiny shorts, a small top, and armguards covering her skinny arms. Her hair was longer this time, and several strands were tied back in dreadlocks.

"What are you doing here, shouldn't you be helping your father rebuild Home?" Inquired Wakka, still keeping an eye on the airship.

"Home's nearly done, and Yunie wanted us to come see her perform!" said Rikku, throwing her arms out.

"Perform?" asked Lulu softly, recalling that Yuna had left without notice not too long ago.

"Yes! She's a songstress now! So anyways, I was thinkin' what could make Yunie really happy?"

"Finding Tidus?" replied Wakka, smugly.

"I thought about that, but I'm still confused, so I went on with the second best idea…to have her friends gathered for her first concert!" said Rikku excitedly.

"Will it be a long trip?" asked Wakka, scratching the back of his head.

"It won't! Besides, Wakka, you're going there anyway." Rikku responded, "The final is going to be held in Luca, just before Yunie's performance."

"Oh, that's right! I'll meet with you then and there, ya?" he said, and returned to his hut.

"What about you, Lu, mind going?" Rikku asked, blue, swirling eyes piercing Lulu's.

Lulu nodded, and spoke. "Let's get going. My students won't mind me missing out for a moment. Besides, I want to see my little sister again."

"Ok! Let's go! I do hope you can swim." Rikku took off, back into the water. Lulu followed, Rikku into the water.

Lulu never liked swimming much, swimming reminded her of Chappu, how his machina weighed him down as Sin attacked, and he couldn't swim to safety in time. It was a fear she needed to get over. Rikku swam ahead, and stopped at a spot marked with a tiny light sphere. As Lulu reached Rikku, a ladder splashed down, and the two girls grabbed onto it. As the latter started to pull up slowly, Rikku chose this as a moment to strike conversation.

"So, Lu, what have you been doing all this while?"

"I started my own small training group, to train girls to be guardians as I was. Hopefully Sin won't come again, but it doesn't hurt to know a little bit of magic." Lulu replied quietly, the glare of the airship's spotlights shining on her ivy eyes.

"It sure doesn't! I've gotten myself a new arm-claw, the Apocalypse Claw. Lookie!" she said, as the ladder reached the underside of the airship and the duo boarded. Lulu took a look at Rikku's outstretched arm. It was a metal armguard-bracer-weapon, it had sharp spikes jutting out of the sides and covering the fist was a metal shell, from which four sharp metal claws extended and retracted.

"Lulu!whereswakkaandyunaandkimahri?" spoke a voice from the front of the airship. Lulu looked up, it was Rikku's brother and pilot, Brother.

"Oh, brother, here we go." She muttered, and Rikku giggled.

"Hello, Brother." She said tiredly, not wanting to deal with questions for the night. "Good evening, Lady Lulu! How is you doing this night?" he said, in broken Mantongue.

"I'm fine, Brother. I see you have been working on our language." She replied, moving to the edge of the airship to dry off.

"Yes, I have. I is practicing for getting a girl in Luca! They will fall for mine Al Bhed charms!" he laughed and returned to piloting the airship.

"They'll definitely fall for something. I'm not so sure if it's his charm, though." Muttered Rikku, and the two laughed.

"How soon do you think we will get there, Rikku?" Lulu asked, an hour later. Rikku cocked her head in curiosity.

"Why, you want to leave already?" she started running around, fake-sobbing.

"Aw, Rikku, cut it out. I'm just nervous." Lulu said, crossing her legs and looking outside.

"But why?" Rikku wondered, sitting with her back to one of the many strange machina aboard the airship.

"I've changed…they're expecting a grown up, formal, Lulu." She said, looking at herself on the reflection on the glass.

"And they're getting a grown up Lulu. Who just switched into an outfit that accentuates her beauty." Rikku cut in, sounding like a modeling narrator. Lulu couldn't help but blush at this.

"Now, let's see if grown-up Lulu is ticklish!" Rikku pounced on Lulu, and before long, the two were giggling together like little girls. All was fine until something hard struck the Airship, sending the two girls tumbling against the opposite side. The ship started yelling out commands in Al Bhed, Lulu remembered the words as 'To your battle stations!" the two ran to the back of the ship and boarded the lift outside, and prepared themselves to fight…

A/N – Thanks to those of you who have reviewed. As of yesterday, I cleared Besaid in FFX-2 (Yeah, go on and laugh, I'm a newbie to real role-playing games.) and I found out Wakka and Lulu were getting wed and having a son within the year. I didn't see much sense, I saw Lulu incapable of giving Wakka the love she gave his deceased brother. I figured she'd look for love somewhere unconventional. This is where Square Enix and I differ. They should hire me! Oh well, hope you're enjoying it so far. Expect the next chapter sometime Wednesday, latest Thursday.


	3. Three

**Chapter Three**

**The Demon Bird**

A piercing squawk filled the air as Lulu and Rikku got on the wing of the airship. "Damn Zu…" Rikku said as she braced herself for a fight. Lights shone on the beast, and Lulu could tell right away what it was. Two massive wings sprung from an equally massive feathered body. It opened its mouth again, its tongue slithering out, and the piercing squawk was heard again. "Let me handle this, Rikku." Lulu said and took several steps forward. She raised her hands in a circular motion and prepared for a double-cast. The Zu flew close and struck the ship's wing, sending metal shards flying into Rikku, but these were easily deflected by Rikku's targe. Lulu's hands by now were glowing, and she prepared to cast Ultima, her most fearsome spell. "Let me try out something, Lu!" Rikku rushed forward, a black spherical object in her hand. "An impact grenade…non-explosive, the pure impact will force this beast away." Rikku quickly said, pulling the pin from the grenade. Suddenly, a voice crackled loudly over the loudspeakers. "BROTHER IS GOING IN, STAND DOWN!" the airship pulled back, throwing Rikku and Lulu backwards. Compartments open, and the Zu was met with a barrage of missiles. Behind Lulu, the grenade exploded. Rikku yelled as the impact threw her forward, face down. Angered, Lulu threw her hands forward, and her double dosage of spells hit the beast, and vanished it into thin air. After the beast was gone, Lulu ran over to Rikku's fallen self.

"Rikku, are you alright?" she asked nervously. No response, but her cheeks were still warm, and her heart was beating rapidly. Lulu picked her up and struggled back inside, and headed for the medicine cabin. A medic was quickly summoned and Lulu was sent away as the healers began their work.

Lulu was something of a woman now. She walked with a graceful pace towards the Airship's cabin. "BROTHER!" she yelled, and the Al Bhed pilot quickly rushed to her.

"Anything I can help Lulu with?" he asked, curiously.

"Brother…did you know that Rikku had pulled the pin right before you pulled away?" she asked, her voice serenely hiding an almost infernal anger.

Brother shook his head and Lulu pressed her hand to his chest. He barely had time to smile before Lulu muttered, "Fool." And let loose a bolt of electricity, throwing Brother to the side of the cabin. The other Al Bhed there just chuckled and went on with their jobs. Lulu returned to the main Hall and waited outside. The door to the medicine cabin opened and one of the doctors came out. He gave Lulu a puzzling look and moved on.

Hours passed, and Lulu's confidence finally shook. She covered her face with her hands and began to sob gently. She was vulnerable again; she was the girl who was the first to find her fiancée dead after the battle with Sin. She berated herself for having opened her heart so readily and so quickly had it been torn. She prayed to whoever was out there that Rikku didn't go through this. The door to the medicine room finally opened again and the other Healer walked out. He gave look a sad look, but then his rugged face broke into a smile.

"Fine she will be. Need rest." He made a move as to retire for the night, but Lulu blocked him. "You can go to sleep, I'll watch over her." The doctor nodded, and went off to the dormitories.

Lulu quietly walked in, past a small table littered with potions and medical instruments of Al Bhed manufacture, and into another compartment, where Rikku lay on a bed, her right arm covered with bandages. She was half asleep, Lulu could tell, somewhere in that plane of a sleepy alert. Lulu pulled up a soft chair close to the bed and sat down.

"Hey, Lu.." Rikku said weakly, her eyes not opening.

"Rikku, I'm sorry." Lulu responded, her hand holding Rikku's.

"For what? It was that jackass that moved the ship. Doc says we're arriving by morning." She said, still hurt, but cheerful nonetheless.

"I know. But at least the thing's gone."

There was silence for awhile, until Rikku broke the silence again.

"Your eyes look watery, Lu."

"I was..er..cooking." Lulu lied, turning her face away to hide that dry tears.

"Lu, you could tell me these things, you know." Rikku said softly, her hand snugly held against Lulu's.

"I was worried that you weren't going to make it." The sorceress said shyly. Rikku giggled at that.

"I'm not that good of an inventor. I guess that's what saved my life. But why were you scared? You're always so grown up!"

"Rikku…I have to confess something." Lulu said softly, turning to look at Rikku's tired, and now confused eyes.

"Go on…" the Al Bhed said, bracing herself for news of sickness or death.

"I had stopped being mature more or less around the time you decided to join our pilgrimage. I was tired and torn. I loved Yuna like a sister, and I was leading her to her death. But then, you joined, and you knew what was going on. I drew strength from you, your happiness, it helped me be more stoic and graceful. I loved the fact that you tried to be like me, but at the same time, I wanted to be like you again. I wanted to be loving and cheerful at the same time you were trying to be stoic and graceful. I just want to thank you that you've been someone I can think about and be happy, and not sad, worried, or confused. You're special to me."

Rikku took this calmly, let out a content sigh, and smiled.

"That's the nicest thing I've heard in so long. Thanks, Lu."

With that, she turned her head against the pillow and eased off gently to sleep. Lulu stayed watching her for a bit longer, and then, she too, fell asleep, their hands still together.


End file.
